A Fate Worst Than Death
by bUtCHEr pEtE
Summary: Three months post-Jacinto. A massive object falls from the sky and crashes on the planet of Sera bringing a new form of life, and threat. Still working on title.
1. Chapter 1: Lazarus

**A/N: Sorry viewers for not updating. I've decided to change this story up just a little. Future chapters shall be updated soon. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Dead Space or Gears of War. They are own by their own respectable companies.  
**

A fate worse than dying

Chapter 1: Lazarus

SOS Broadcast: This is Captain Davis Chamber Reed, commander of the USG Continental Bell. We were dispatched to recover the USG Ishimura, but what we found was scraps and…and a fragment of the Marker. And now an unknown outbreak has occurred on my ship! The crew and cargo are being slaughter like cattle! Too many people have died, we need assistance… Captain Reed, out.

**Time: Unknown/ Date: Unknown/ Aboard USG Continental- Security Cryogenetic chamber, 5****th**** deck…**

At first there was absolute darkness. No sound to disconcert him, no conscious thoughts to concern him. Then awareness came, all around him he could feel enclosure, as if confined in a tight space. Then fear consumed him.

John had awoken. His breathing was shallow has he thrashed around inside the cryotube. He tore off the respiratory gear from his face, sucking in the small amount of air inside the tube, and then proceeded to rip the rest of the life support monitors from his body.

A red hue light lit up inside the cryotube, startling John, but also calming him down. Pressurized air escaped the seal of the lid as it popped open. John fell hard onto the grated deck. He groaned as he lay naked on the cold decking, curling into a ball, trying to keep the warmth within him.

His vision was blurred and his eyes were not adjusting to the light fixtures in the chamber. But he could hear an alarm amplifying over the speakers.

"Quarantine is in effect. All personnel please precede to the nearest escape pods on all levels. Remain calm, help will be along shortly. Thank you."

The message was a loop; it continued to broadcast over and over again.

_This doesn't sound good_, he thought_. I need to get the hell outta here._

John grabbed on to a bench and pulled himself up to the seat. He rested, back arched, face planted in his hands, patiently waiting for his vision to return. As soon as his eyes cleared, John pushed off the bench seat and walked over to a group of lockers gathered at the back of the chamber.

He paused in front of a locker, it read 75390. John gripped onto the latch, which read his palm print and allowed itself to open under John's demand. The inside of the locker wasn't entirely cluttered, three security uniforms, boots, a holster, a pistol and a personnel size mirror on the inner of the door. But what gripped his attention was a photograph no bigger than the mirror.

The picture was of John standing next to a woman; his arm draped over her shoulder. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties, blue eyes, and short blonde hair. She was beautiful, John couldn't argue with that, but who was she?

He examined the pictures more closely and noticed the name above her left breast pocket. Opposite of the name was USG C.B.

_Continental Bell_, he thought. _She's on this ship?_

John ripped the photo from the door. He turned it over and found a message on the backside.

_My hero! _

_Thanks for the job big brother. _

_Anna_.

_Annabel… _Holding the photo between his teeth, John began to suit up. He placed the picture in his breast pocket. Wrapping the belt holster around his waist he secured it tight. He then drew out his sidearm and loads a fresh magazine in the receiver of the pistol. Cocking the gun, John was about to holster it back when the vent overhead rattled violently!

Reacting fast, John crouched, leveling the barrel toward the source of the noise. It reminded John of two cats fighting in close quarters. As the ruckus drifted, he recovered as he holstered his weapon.

_What the hell was that?_ He thought to himself. But he knew he had no time to investigate. As he headed for the exit, he noticed the other cryotubes were either empty or completely frozen. John couldn't help but feel sorry for those who were resting in their own arctic coffin. Their life suppose only read zero.

Off to his right, the bulkhead to the exit parted open. John immediately swiveled his head to the entrance.

"John…" an elegant voice whispered from beyond the entrance. "John, please get us home."

"Anna?" he whispered. But his eyes couldn't penetrate through the darkness of the corridor. "Anna, is that you?"

The light flickered and a slender figure walked away.

"Annabel, wait!" John took pursuit, but as he reached the corridor the woman was gone. He looked from left to right but the entire corridor was empty. Realizing he was alone, John felt like his heart was hollow once again.

Anna, why are you on this ship? John wiped the tears from his eyes and regained his baring. He then set off to find any survivors.

**A/N: I hope you've enjoyed this new segment of my story. And please review. I would like feedback. Criticism is greatly welcomed. Thank you again. **


	2. Chapter 2: The Survivors

Chapter 2: The Survivors

**26 hours after outbreak/ Date: Unknown/ Aboard the USG Continental Bell, 16****th**** deck…**

The USG Continental Bell is two kilometers in length, five hundred meters in width and six hundred in height. The massive planet cracker drifted lifelessly in the void of space; like a whale pushing through the ocean.

Reports of gunfire echoed down the ship's corridor, followed by the inevitable screams of its wielder.

Keeping low and alert, Lance Corporal Sujak kept the butt of the rifle tight against his shoulder and the barrel pointed down the end of each corridor. His destination was the elevator a hundred meters ahead. He occasionally took his eyes if the objective to stare at the blood staining the hull. And the claw marks etched deep into the metal structure.

Sujak always hated when he had to take point. It was his bulk size that always volunteered for him.

A dozen meters behind the rest of the survivors waited for the signal to go. Captain Bannister was leading the group in a single file line. Bannister hardly showed it but he was on the edge. Having lost so many when this outbreak occurred, he was starting to have doubts that he would be able to get his men and the civilians out alive.

"How's it looking up there, big guy?" Bannister whispered into his radio.

"_So far so good, boss_," Sujak's voice replied in Bannister's ear. "_Haven't heard or seen anything yet; just the crazy amount of blood that's been left behind_."

"Roger that," Bannister replied. "Continue on to the elevator. We're right behind you."

Sujak simply gave a thumbs up.

"Is everything okay, Captain?" Dr. Michelle Polanski asked.

"I don't know what you would qualify 'okay', ma'am," Bannister tried to keep the sarcasm to a minimum, but it was challenging when you witnessed your friends die, only to rise back up and attack you.

He saw the frustration in her eyes. "I'm sorry, ma'am," he apologized. "We're doing the best we can to get you people to safety."

"You don't have to apologize, Captain," Dr. Polanski said. "I know the stress you're undertaking now."

Bannister displayed his artificial sympathy look. _I'm sorry but you don't know what I'm going through right now, ma'am. _

The group was composed of four civilians and three soldiers, not including the point man. Captain Bannister took lead. Behind him are Dr. Polanski and a very bulky miner, one who could match up to LCPL Sujak. Taking up the center of the formation was LCPL Cadwell, Sujak's oldest friend in the QRF (Quick Reaction Force). Behind him were the remaining two civilians; another scientist and a maintenance technician. And finally, taking up the rear was LCPL Adkins.

Sujak came across an intersection in the corridor, then finally reaching the elevator doors. He took up a defensive position and waved for the group to advance.

"That's the signal," Bannister said. "Let's move."

He led the group, cautiously down the narrow path. After a few seconds of double time, they made it to the elevator. He rapidly pressed on the call button hoping every push he made would accelerate its approach.

The QRF soldiers took up position as the beginning of each corridor, no more than two meters away.

"Hey, Sujak," Cadwell called out. "Bet you pissed yourself with each step you made."

"Shut up," Sujak hissed. "You see, boot, when the QRF needs muscle, who do they run to? Lance Corporal Sujak!"

"Quiet!" Adkins demanded. "I thought I heard something."

The entire groups stared down the path they came from. The lighting was dim, so it was hard to focus on any sort of movement. But the sounds of feet clanging on the grated deck were clear enough. Along with the soft growls of the Necromorphs!

"Ah shit! Here they come!" Adkins screamed. He cocked the combat shotgun in his hands, and waited for the monsters to get close enough. Sujak and Cadwell had no problem sending rounds down range.

Bannister pushed passed the civilians and joined in on the shooting spree.

Dr. Polanski continued with pressing the call button. "Come on, you piece of shit!" She started to kick and slam on the door.

The rest of the survivors gathered around the female scientist, armed with steel pipes, hammers and other blunt objects.

Adkins decided the enemy was close enough. He unloaded a single round in the close quarters of the corridor, nearly popping everyone's eardrum. But the one round managed to knock back the mob a bit.

The team continued their rate of fire; when one member was empty the other was open fire. This cycle went on for a couple of minutes until the satisfying sound of the elevator opening.

"Everybody inside, now," Bannister commanded hollered over the sound of rifles.

First the civilians entered then Cadwell, Sujak, Bannister, and finally Adkins. The sealed shut before any Necromorph had the opportunity to enter.

"Where we headed now, boss?" Sujak asked.

"To the bridge," Bannister said as he reloaded his sidearm. "To the twenty-fifth deck."


End file.
